Splint apparatus



A. B. MULVANY.

SPUNT APPARATUS. APPLICATION FILED APR.25. 1918. RENEWED JUNE 18, 1920.

2 SHEETSSHEET aB.M1/]vany A. B. MULVANY.

SPLINT APPARATUS. APPLICATION man APR.25. I9I.8.'RENEWED JUNE 18. 1920.

1,347,396. Patented July 20, 1920.

2 SHEETS SHEEI Z 144m: AJva B. Mzrlvawy PATENT OFFICE.

ALVA B. MULVANY, OF KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO LEMUEL J. HUSTED, or KANSAS CITY, MISSOURI.

SPLINT APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented July 20, 1920.

Application filed April 25, 1918, Serial No. 230.757. Renewed June 18. 1920. Serial No. 389.963.

To all 207mm it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALVA B. MULVANY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kansas City, in the county of Jackson and State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Splint Apparatus, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

The invention relates to splint apparatus for supporting and binding broken, fractured, wounded and sore limbs, thighs, hips, spines, necks and the like, of patients, and seeks to provide a simple and efiicient splint apparatus, convenient to carry in the physicians conveyance, the ambulance on the street or the ambulance on the battle field, and not too bulky to store in the doctors office, the store, factory or hospital, whether the hospital he a civil, military or military field hospital.

Many persons are injured where there is no equipment at hand, and if a surgeon or physician is present no means are at hand to re lieve or properly treat the patient, broken bones sometimes remaining unsetas long as two days or longer until the patient can be taken to a hospital, while if the patient was immediately treated he or she would be well on the road to recovery-before the hospital is reached, in fact broken limbs often begin to knit and heal before the patient reaches a place where apparatus can be found to properly set the limbs, the result being the necessity of rebreaking the limb before it is set, as it is not properly joined and would result in a crooked limb if not rebroken before setting. 7

It is essential that some means be provided which is simple and efficient, and not heavy or bulky to carry, so that it may be carried or stored in any convenient place, easily applied, and so constructed that when applied the-application may-be permanent until the patient so recovers that no appliance is longer required.

The present invention seeks to provide a simple and efficient splint apparatus applicable at the time of injury, to a patient suffering with injury to the leg, thigh, hip,

spine or neck, andwhich application may remain permanent until the patient so recovers that no appliance is longer required.

By providing a -splint apparatus of this kind a person in ured in the street, on the railway or on the battle field may receive immediate proper and permanent treatment and be well on the way to recovery by the time the hospital or place of further treatment is reached.

By applying the splint apparatus to the patient where injured it is possible to carry the patient, to load the patient in the ambulance, or move the patient in any usual manner without causing pain or injury to the patient, which is very advantageous and desirable, as most patients endure the greatest suffering during handling and movement from one place to another, and during the usual treatment that is usuallv delayed from a few hours to two or three days in some instances, it being well known to physicians and surgeons that the patient sufi'ers very much less and recovers in a much shorter time where treatment for injury is given immediately after the injury.

A further object of the invention is to provide means of setting broken bones where the injury occurs and immediately after the breakage so that the bone will not begin to knit and heal in an improper position and to prevent the usual necessity of rebreaking the bone before setting it.

lVith these and other objects in view the invention consists in the features of construction, combinations and arrangements of parts hereafter set forth and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims, the accompanying drawings illustrating a form of the splint apparatus.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view in elevation of the improved splint apparatus arranged for treating injury to the lower limb or leg, the thigh, hip, spine and neck.

Fig. 2 is a plan View of the splint apparatus as shown in the complete arrangement by Fig. 1.. i

Fig. 3 is a view in elevation of the splint apparatus arranged for lower limb and thigh injury or merely a thigh injury.

Fig. 4 is an inverted plan view of the splint apparatus as arranged in Fig. 3.

Fig. 5 is a view in elevation of the portion of the splint apparatus employed when only the lower limb is broken or injured. theapp'aratus in this view being folded in inoperative position for the purpose of carrying it from place to place.

Fig. 6 is a sectional view taken on line 11 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 7 is a sectional view on line 22 of Fig. 2.

To the leg supporting frame member 1, is hingedly connected the foot piece to which is secured the pivotpins 4 and to the pins are pivoted the braces 3 which are connected to the frame member 1, by the bolts 5 and thumb nuts 6. p

The braces 3, are provided with the slots 7 loosely fitting the bolts 5, and near the end 8, the braces are bent to an approximate right angle, the slot in each brace following the bend of the brace, so that when the foot piece is raised to the position shown in Fig. 1 the braces will fall to the position shown in the same figure and lock the braces and foot pieces against folding regardless of whether the nuts 6 are tightened.

It is the intention however to nuts 6, so that the frame member 1 and foot piece will be rigidly connected when the foot piece is extended as shown in Fig. 1.

The frame member 1, has hingedly connected thereto by thev hinges 9, the hip supporting frame member 10, the hinges being radiallycorrugated at 1 1, and clamped. rigidly in the position desired, by the bolts 12 and thumb nuts 13, the hinges being sulficiently resilient to allow of hinge movement when. the nuts 13 are loosened, and sufficiently rigid to hold the frame members 1 and 10 in rigid relative positions when the nuts are tightened.

To the back supporting frame member 14, are rigidly secured the projecting connecting bars 15, and to the frame member 10, are rigidly secured the sockets 16, the sockets loosely fitting around the connecting bars when the latter are in engaged position. The spring latch bars 17 are secured to the sockets by the bolts 18, and provided with the latch pins 19, which engage in the holes 20, the latchbars being easily disengaged by withdrawing the pins, this being easily accomplished by springing the ends 21 of the latch plates in the direction away from the frame member 10.

To the frame memberv 14 is hingedly connected the head piece 22 the braces being pivotally connected to the head piece by the pins 24 and provided with the slots 23 which loosely fit around the bolts 26, so that the head piece may be folded tot-he position shown in dotted lines of Fig. 1, the braces being bent to an approximate right angle near the end 27 thereof and the slots following the bend of the braces so that when the head piece is extended upward as shown in Fig. 1 the braces will fall to the position shown in the same figure and the braces will lock the head piece in extended position, the

thumb nuts 28 being provided to rigidly bind the braces to the frame member 14 so that no movement'of the. latter will-disengage the braces from the position shown relative to the bolts.

In the head piece 22 is inserted the eye bolt 29 which is fitted with the thumb nut 30, the purpose of the bolt being to provide means to exert a drawing force upon the head, neck-or any part of thebody of the patienttoward the head piece this being very valuable when the spine or neck is injured.

To the hip supporting frame member 10 are secured the rods 31 to which thestraps 32 are loosely secured for the purpose of clamping the body of the patient in the desired position. i

The strap 33 is shown loosely lying underneaththe frame member 14 in Fig. 2, and connected in Fig. 1 to illustrate the method of binding the patient to the frame member, it being understood that the number of straps employed and the location thereof will be regulated by the surgeon and that other forms of binding as ordinary bandages may be substituted for the straps.

To the frame member '1 is hinged at 34, the upper leg rest 35 formed in interlocking telescopic structure and bound together in gage the latch tongueso that the distance of the hinged connection 38 from 'the frame member 1 can easily be increased and diminishedat will by engaging the latch tongue in different positions on the latch plate. 7

The object of elevating and adjusting the elevation of the rests 35 ,and 39'is to allow the patients leg to bend just sufficiently to relax the muscles of the leg, so that'athe latter will not draw and tire the legs and toprevent the muscles from drawing broken bones out of place.

p The straps 42 and ing the upper leg rest 35 and the lower leg 43 shown surroundrest 39 respectively illustratea means of binding the leg to the rests, it being underbe employed andfthat they maybe located as desired so as not to bindranopen sore or wound, and that ordinary bandages may be employed instead .ofthe straps when desired. i i

- stood that a greater number of-straps may and connected with. the eye bolt is the yoke L7 connecting to the scale 46 from which the cords 48 lead. for the purpose of connecting to the leg or any part of the body of the patient.

ingedly connected to the frame member l is the bracket 50 which is provided with the pulleys 51 losely mounted thereon, to lead the cords 48 upward to aline with the direction it is desired to exert a pulling force upon the patients leg or body. The cords 4L8-are shown both leading over the same pulley 51, but the pulleys are easily moved from side to side of the bracket so that both pulleys may be employed and the cords separated as when it is desired to pass them along opposite sides of the patients knee.

The bracket 50 is provided with the bifurcated jaws 52 formed in a radius from the pivoted center 49, the jaws spanning the bolts 53, the bolts being provided with the thumb nuts 54: so that the bracket may be inclined toward the foot piece 2 to lower the pulleys 51 to the desiredheight.

The thumb set screws 56 are provided in the foot piece 2 so that the plate 57 may be inserted between the screws and the patients foot or feet to exert a retractive pressure upon the 'patients leg or legs and hips, this being very essential in the treatment of broken or fractured pelvis bones.

\Vhen the spine or neck of the patient is injured the entire splint apparatus may be employed, it being understood that the usual padding, not shown because of well known form, will be placed between the patient, and the frame members 10 and 14: and the leg rests 35 and 39, and the straps will be adjusted where and as desired.

For application of the splint apparatus to hip and thigh injuries the frame member 10 may be employed in connection with the frame member ll, or the frame member 10 may be employed with frame member 1 and accompanying parts, it usually being preferable to employ the frame members ,10 and l.

The frame member 10 is provided with the hole to receive the rear portion of the patients hips and assist in padding and fitting the patient to the frame members, it being obvious that if a portion of the hips which usually project rearwardly is placed within the hole 55 that less padding will be required, the patient will be more perfectly fitted. and secured to the frame members, and th injured parts of the patient or broken bones can be held more rigidly and in more natural position for the healing of wounds, sores and broken bones.

hen the apparatus is employed as shown in Fig. 3 the hip supporting frame 10 may be inclined upward as shown and to a greater or less degree of angle to conform to the condition of the patient, this position usually being einployml when the patient is in a sitting position.

The frame member 1 may be disconnected from the member 10 by removing the bolt 12,- and employed with "the accompanying parts when the patients leg only requires treatment, and it is also obvious that the frame member 1 may be disconnected from the hinge 9 shown connected thereto and the frame member attached to the remaining hinge 9, and two of the frame members 1 and accompanying parts may be employed when both legs of the patient require treatment.

A. particular advantage of the splint apparatus is the frame members 1, 10 and 1st, and the hole 55, allowing the patient to be strapped or bound permanently thereto on the street, in the factory or store, or upon the battle field, the frames retaining the patient in proper position and permitting moving to the hospital or other place of continued treatment in a proper permanent condition for all further treatment, eliminating the usual painful, dangerous and health retarding handling and treatment, such as handling without proper support, breaking bones that have begun to knit and heal and dressing wounds that have been irritated by rough handling, and not supporting the patient in a position to favor the healing of the wound.

The hole not only aids in supporting the hips and holding them from spreading in case of breakage and dislocation, but also serves to allow the patient to employ the ordinary bed pan without movement on or from the splint apparatus, it being obvious that the entire apparatus may be lifted with the patient thereon and without movement of the patient thereon, avoiding the usual pain and injury occasioned by lifting the patient, often many times each day.

It is obvious that changes may be made in the construction as set forth without departure from the essential of the invention.

hat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In splint apparatus, a hip supporting frame approximately fiat, a hole in said frame to receive the projecting portion of the hips, and a leg supporting frame detachably secured to said hip supporting frame.

2. In splint apparatus, a hip supporting frame approximately flat, a hole in said frame to receive the projecting portion of the hips, and a back supporting frame detachably connected to said hip supporting frame.

3. In splint apparatus, a hip supporting frame approximately flat, a hole in said hip supporting frame in various angled positions with relation to said leg supporting frame.-

4. In splint apparatus, a hip supporting frame, a back supporting frame connected to said hip supporting frame, a hole in said 111p supporting frame to receive the proecting portion of the hips, a foldablehead piece hingedly connected to the opposite end of said back supporting frame, and an eye bolt in said head piece whereby a pullingtension may be exerted upon the patient in the direction from the head of the patient.

In splint apparatus, a hip supporting frame, a hole in said hip supporting frame to receive the projecting portion of the hips, a leg supporting frame arranged to connect to said hip supporting frame, and duplicate connecting members on said hip supporting frame whereby said leg supporting frame may be connected to said hip supporting frame to serve either leg'of the patient.

porting frame to serve either leg of the patient.

7. In supporting members mounted on said leg frame, said leg members pivotally connected at the connecting ends thereof, meansto hold the connecting ends of saidleg supporting members in raised positioma foot piece rising from one end of said leg frame, an eye bolt in said foot piece, a nut on said eye bolt, a scale connecting to said eye bolt, a yoke connecting to said scale, abracket pivotally connected to said frame, a pulley on said bracket to lead pull cords from a patients leg to said yoke, and means to raise and lower said pulley by moving said bracket around its pivoted connection to said frame.

ALVA B. MULVANY.

splint apparatus, a leg frame, leg 

